Confronted with the often
contradictory statements made by repesentatives of Sandia National Labs
(SNL), and the Department of Energy (DOE), in April 2000 Citizen
Action filed a number of requests seeking additional information about
the Mixed Waste Landfill (MWL) under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
This was done to verify statements made by representatives of Sandia National
Labs and the U.S. Department of Energy (SNL/DOE) regarding waste buried
at the landfill, and to request that classified documents be opened for
citizen review. Approximately one year later we began to receive the first
of these documents. The following is a summary of new information found
after a review of about 3000 FOIA documents by members of Citizen Action.
The information found in these FOIA documents is inconsistent with a number
of statements made by SNL/DOE regarding the MWL.
SNL/DOE ASSERTIONS
|
QUOTES FROM FOIA DOCUMENTS
|
SOURCE
|
| "We have an excellent inventory
of waste buried at the MWL." |
"Approximately 50,000
ft. of radioactive waste has been buried at the site."
(*note: latest estimate of total waste buried at the MWL = 100,000
cubic feet) |
- SNL Working Draft,
Sampling Plan 1992 (FOIA 92). |
| "An estimated 720,000
cubic ft. of waste has been buried on site during the 28-year operation." |
SNL ER Program Information
Sheet, 1987 (FOIA 90). |
| "Accurate records
before 1965 no longer exist and records from 1965 to 1976 are incomplete
with regard to wastes disposed of in the MWL from 1960-1988. It should
be noted that the files contain conflicting data. Researchers applied
straight-line averages to waste disposed from 1959-1969, and estimated
values for individual waste categories from 1970-1976." |
SNL ER Program, 1993,
Phase 2 RFI Work Plan (FOIA 101). |
| |
|
"We know exactly what's in the landfill."
"We know exactly what's in the landfill."
"No box type trailers were buried at the MWL."
|
"All records prior
to 1964 were destroyed as part of a records purge." |
Letter from Delacroix
Davis, Jr. to James G. Steger, 1977, pg. 11 (FOIA 50). |
| "They have a feel
for what is in there but the numbers are questionable… use vegetation
as indicator. Succulent plants work best. Elevated concentrations
[found] up to 5 km away." |
Interview with Donna
Hartzel to "G.L., 1989 (FOIA 112) |
| "Most of the waste
from this facility should be considered mixed wastes since the exact
composition of the wastes is uncertain and radioactive chemicals as
well as classified toxic materials can be expected." |
Memo to J.C. Vandermolen
from G.J. Smith, SNL (FOIA 43) |
"…other records
suggest 600 cubic ft. of transuranic (TRU) wastes may have been buried
at the MWL; waste records did not define contents of the TRU wastes
before 1972, thus actual presence and quantities of these wastes cannot
be accurately determined…"
|
SNL ER Program, 1993,
Phase 2 RFI Work Plan (FOIA 101). |
| "… the most
common metal disposed of at the MWL is lead. Also, barium, beryllium
and chromium were probably disposed of. No records are available on
the quantities of metals disposed of…" |
SNL ER Program Information
Sheet FOIA, 1987 (FOIA 90). |
| "Chemical wastes
include acids, solvents, trichloroehylene (TCE), carbon tetrachloride,
and scintillation cocktails. Other wastes disposed of in the classified
area include uranium, thorium, plutonium, enriched lithium, various
(leaky and intact) sources, plutonium-contaminated wastes from various
facilities, and plutonium-contaminated nuclear weapons test debris."
|
Appendix D, SNL Site
Health and Safety Plan Form, 1992 (FOIA 116). |
| "SP-4 contains what
is purported to be reactor vessel plates. Very little is known about
these plates, their origin, number, size or configuration." |
Memo from Jerry Peace/SNL
to Mark Jackson, John Gould/DOE/KAO, 1997 (FOIA 22). |
| "Trailer was buried
in Trench F, deeper than pictures show. Trailer was not a flatbed,
but a box-type w/ doors, backed down in trench, unhooked and truck
drove out." |
Interview with Fernando
Dominguez, recalling information given to him by Charlie Bergland,
1998 (FOIA 5). |
| |
|
"Once the Cobalt-60 decays away the MWL will no longer
be a problem."
"The MWL is just fine where it is and will never contaminate
the ground water."
|
"… [MWL] received a variety
of radioactive and potentially radioactive/hazardous chemical mixed
wastes… Primary radionuclides are uranium and tritium, some plutonium
and plutonium-contaminated material, cobalt-60, cesium-137, radioactive
tracers, rad waste from operating and decommissioned Sandia Pulsed
Reactors and Sandia Engineering Reactor as well as neutron-activated
materials from weapons experiments at the Nevada Test Site. Radioactively
contaminated oils and naphthalene scintillation vials…"
|
SNL ER Program Information Sheet FOIA,
1987 (FOIA 90). |
"Possible mixed fission products
went to dump. Lots of fuel in mountains stored. Only neutron activated
material went to the dump. Lots, large amounts of Du."
|
Interview with former SNL employee
H. Abbott, 19…?…(FOIA 1). |
|
"Incompatible and unneutralized ignitable
and reactive gases may have been placed in pits and trenches. Subsequent
reactions may generate hazardous vapors which could penetrate soil
caps and be released. Potential for release to air from pits 24-30
is high."
(*note: passive soil gas surveys conducted
in 1993-94 found no large releases of hazardous vapors; however,
active soil gas surveys in classified pits 24-30 have not been conducted.)
|
SNL ER Program
Information Sheet FOIA, 1992 (FOIA 90).
|
"Records of disposal in pits
from Nevada Test Site and South Pacific were examined and then disposed
of at the MWL."
|
Interview with former SNL employee
Bob Schwing, 1995 (FOIA 7). |
"On the order of 1000s of rem/hr.
[disposed of in MWL] on contact. Truckload after truckload was disposed
of during decommissioning. Some elements of reactor exceeded 5000
rem/hr. Disposal of much material in pits - 100 rem/hr."
|
Interview with former SNL employee
Max Moms regarding disposal of nuclear reactor materials in dump,
1998 (FOIA 12). |
"Chemicals contaminated with radioactive materials were disposed
of in the radioactive acid pit until about 1969. Contaminated chemicals
included solvents, acids, trichloroethylene and carbon tetrachloride."
|
Interview with former SNL employee
Frank Statzula (FOIA 58). |
| |
|
"Free liquids were never allowed to be dumped in the MWL."
"The MWL is just fine where it is and will never contaminate
the ground water."
|
"Never,
ever put liquids in pits or trenches classified
items disposed of in the classified area, hard and fast … no
explosives allowed."
|
Interview with George
Tucker, former SNL employee, 1995 (FOIA 3). |
| "Radioactively contaminated
waste water was discharged into one of the trenches during one month
of 1967; the water could potentially have increased the migration
rate of contaminants through the soil column toward the aquifer." |
SNL ER Program Information
Sheet FOIA, 1987 (FOIA 90). |
"Organic hazardous
wastes [TCE, acids, carbon tetrachloride, and scintillation cocktails
(toluene based) were disposed of in the Mixed Waste Landfill beginning
in 1959 and continued until 1962 when the Chemical Waste Landfill
was opened. Many of these were radioactively contaminated."
|
ER Program/Site Health
and Safety Plan, 1992 (FOIA 116).
|
| "Characteristics
of contamination: disposal in unlined pits and trenches; contaminated
oils, liquids and solvents; solid and liquid wastes." |
Remedial Action and D & D Scope Definition Worksheet, SNL, 1991 (FOIA 108). |
"After 1975, SNL
required liquid wastes to be solidified prior to disposal. Before
this time unsolidified radioactive liquids, whether containerized
or not, were disposed of in the MWL."
|
ER Program/Site Health
and Safety Plan, 1992 (FOIA 115, 116). |
"Two summers ago
workers found 5 feet of water in nearby completed trench. Workers
pumped water into the trench to the west."
|
Interview with Donna
Hartzel to G.L., 1989 (FOIA 112). |
"As you know, we
were aware of the 271,500 gallons [of nuclear reactor coolant water]
that was put into Trench 'D' in 1967. However, we were very surprised
to find out that so much more water was applied so close to the MWL."
|
Memo from Mike Goodrich
to Alva Parsons dated 1989 referring to 12.5 million gallons of additional
reactor coolant water was dumped in a drain field near MWL and 6.5
million gallons dumped in Tech Area V. Total
estimated coolant water dumped: 19.4 million gallons (FOIA 114). |
| |
| "They would not
have dumped nuclear oxide fuels in the MWL." |
"Nuclear oxide fuels
were shipped to Sandia from reactors all over the world for simulated
meltdown experiments. TA5 employees were confused as to why the cans
were in pits 35/36 because the tests, as well as the canisters, were
not considered classified. The obvious reason is that the landfill
was scheduled for closure, so all spent fuel cans were hastily disposed
of before closure date. There are no doubt additional cans in the
landfill but their location is unknown." |
Memo from Jerry Peace/SNL
to Mark Jackson, John Gould/DOE/KAO, 1997 (FOIA 22). |
"Based on interviews
with TA5 personnel here may be hazardous constituents in the canisters.
There is little process knowledge, there have been no controls since
it was generated …"
|
Memo from W.B. Cox, SNL
to G.K. Laskar, DOE/KAO, 1997 (FOIA 21). |
"The term, "Unk" means unknown; complete records of this breakdown were not begun until
1970. 1965 - Fission Product/Induced Activity: Unk. 1966 - Fission
Product/Induced Activity: Unk. 1967 - Fission Product/Induced Activity:
Unk. 1968 - Fission Product/Induced Activity: Unk. 1969 - Fission
Product/Induced Activity: Unk. Total: Unk, Unk, Unk, Unk, Unk."
|
Memo from W.D. Burnett
to R.R. Malone, Waste Management Fact Book, Memo (FOIA 34). |
| |
| "The MWL can't be excavated
as it poses a danger to workers." |
In 1984 estimates regarding
clean up of the MWL were performed by George Tucker, SNL, and included: "air-supplied bubble suits, performed under an outer air support
building with an inner metal Butler-type building with collapsible
sides and HEPA filter ventilation. All waste would be shipped to the
Nevada Test Site. Operation is assumed to require 'lots of manual
labor.' " Total 1984 exhumation costs including equipment, labor
and transportation: $129,690,000. Total 1989 exhumation costs including
equipment, labor and transportation: $181,570,000. |
Memo to J.C. Vandermolen
from G.J. Smith, SNL (FOIA 43). |
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